Leota's Garden by Francine Rivers

This book was highly praised by a friend of a friend so I was really planning on liking it.  I've really been enjoying the other books by Francine Rivers so I was hoping for another book that I would equally enjoy.  While the beginning and the middle were well written and I really got into the story, the end was certainly lacking something.  I don't know if it's just the lack of closure at the end of the book that bothered me or what.  I just felt like it was missing something and that missing something has annoyed me for days now. 

I don't want to give away too much of the book so I won't go into it much.  But I do have to say that after watching one of the characters grow so much, it was frustrating not to see what happens with him in regards to his faith.  And well, yeah there was other stuff that just didn't end well for me either.  The start was great but I would have loved to see it end differently.  Maybe it was just too much like real life where things just don't get resolved in a timely manner or how I would like them too, but it certainly hasn't sat well with me. 

Unafraid: Mary (The Lineage of Grace Series #5) by Francine Rivers

The story of Mary is one that every Christian child grows up hearing.  It is the story behind the birth of Christ and the parents that raised him.  This story looked into how she might have felt and brought the story to life in a way that is a bit more current then just reading it out of the bible.  I know she took quite a few liberties with changing some stuff around and filling in blanks that didn't happen so it's important to read this along with the actual scripture to understand that not all of the things in the book are scripturally accurate.  It's important to remember that this is a fiction book, so not everything is completely true.

The question that sticks with me the most from our book club on this book was, "If you were Mary, what would you have done?"  I know Mary had a difficult life, but there is no part of me that questions I would do what God was asking of me.  I mean, how can you say no to God when you know everything He does is for a reason?  No matter how difficult your life may be, He knows what He's doing.  Live for Him and you will be rewarded beyond anything that can be provided on this earth.

The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

It seems I've been reading all sad books recently, so when I picked this up I was afraid for more sadness.  Nicholas Sparks does have a tendency to write sad stories, and they don't even always get a happy ending.  So I was pleasantly surprised when this ended up fairly happy, sure there are still the sad moments you come to expect but as a whole the book had a nice warm fuzzy feeling.  I loved it, it is a book I'm bound to read again someday.  It was a quick easy read and it certainly held my attention. 

Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks

 

I got this book at half priced books for only a dollar, seemed like a good deal so why not pick up another book.  I generally find Nicholas Sparks books to be quick easy reads that make me think and normally make me cry.  This one was no different.

This book really touches on the it's better to have loved and lost then to never have loved at all sentiment.  I couldn't agree more.  

It was a great book, a very easy book to read and fairly short.  I finished it in a day.  I started it at lunch and then read the rest when I got home and I even went to bed at a decent time that night.  I always love a story that keeps me reading.  The only down side to the book is it is sad, as are most of his books I've found.   Though normally he has a little happy in with the sad, this one just leaves me with an all over sad feeling.  I guess I can count myself very fortunate that I haven't had to deal with the loss of someone I love from my life (from them leaving or passing away).  I know so many people that have had to deal with this kind of loss and I praise the Lord he has been so good to me.  

I think I really could use a happy book right about now.  But alas, I started another Nicholas Sparks book so we'll see.

Her Daughter's Dream by Francine Rivers

 

This is the second book in a two part story.  I absolutely loved these books and have been thinking about it for days after.  Even while reading and finishing another book I just couldn't get this one out of my mind.  Very much worth reading!

Her Daughter's Dream picks up right where Her Mother's Hope ended.  Marta is coming to help her daughter Hildemara raise her young kids as she battles with illness.  This book brings you through Carolyn's story and well as the story of her daughter May Flower Dawn.

Each of the characters in these books have their struggles that they have to go through, all of them are different but they shape the way they raise their children and interact with one another.  

Of all the characters I connected with Dawn the most, when I look back at myself as a child she reminds me a lot of me, different circumstances but listening to what she thinks about things is similar to how my brain thinks about things.  I don't want to spoil the story, but my connection with Dawn is what makes this story stick in my mind so strongly.  Her story moves me, her husbands story moves me too.  I often look back to myself as a teenager and wish I had someone like Georgia to put me in my place.  I may not have been doing things like Dawn at the time, but I still needed someone to tell me not to be selfish.   I don't think many people look back at me at that stage and say that about me, but internally I probably always will.

I can't imagine going through the life that any of these women ended up with.  I praise the Lord that he has been so good to me, sure I've had my struggles, but with Him it is all so much easier.  Jesus is with us always, he is in us and knows all that we do.  Trust in him and know that all things will happen in his time.

Have a blessed day!

Where the Wild Things Are (11/28/10)

This is one of those movies that I REALLY wanted to see, I was so excited about it that it really couldn't live up to what I was hoping for.  I absolutely LOVED the book as a kid, though I'm not quite sure why and as the movie went on I realized I really had forgotten a good bit of what the book was about.  The movie was cute and fun, but not nearly as good as what I was hoping for.  Maybe I watched it on a bad day?  Or maybe it just couldn't live up to my expectations, I don't know.  It wasn't a bad movie but it wasn't WOW for me either.

Her Mother's Hope by Francine Rivers

I picked this book up for book club and I couldn't be more happy that we chose it.  I waited to write this until after I finished the second book that went with this one.  I'm not sure if that was a good idea or not, but that's what I did so I can't change it now.

This book follows the life of Marta and her daughter Hildemara.  Marta had a rough start to life and went and did so much on her own at a very young age.  The things that happened to her and her family shaped how she raised Hilde.  From there you go into Hilde's life and how she grew up.  These things inevitably end up affecting how she raised her daughter.

I love how Francine Rivers brings God into her books, she makes you think, she makes you struggle with the characters through love and loss not only with the other characters in the book but also with God.  I am so glad we chose this book for book club. I think the second book spoke more too me (which wasn't from book club but I knew I wouldn't be able to stop reading so I bought both).

The Bucket List (11/3/10)

I think I need a bucket list, there are so many things I would love to do in my lifetime, and having a list to check them off might help me remember what they are as I think of new things.  I like to think that I live in such a way that I'm constantly trying new things and doing things as I can.  I sometimes wish I had a never ending supply of money so I could really go and do all the things I would like, but then I don't really want that either. I want to earn what I do, experience it when I should and trust that God will lead me on the right path in everything I do.  I loved this movie and am very thankful that Richard picked it out to watch.

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

I finally can say that I have read the Chronicles of Narnia!  It was great to read. 

This story was a sad one and a happy one and a bit confusing at times as well.  It was weird to try to figure out what all was going on.  And it's quite strange to think of God as being a Lion, but I don't know any other way to interpret what happens.  I did like the description of the "heaven" that they went too, the afterlife and how everything was so unexplainable beautiful and amazing.  I've always had a hard time grasping heaven and what it will be like, so to have this fictional book explain the same thing that I heard in church but a bit more in depth without really calling it heaven really made me grasp the idea a bit more then I've ever been able to before.

I loved the Chronicles, I stick by my saying they would be great to read to my children someday.  Now I just need some kids to read it too, someday.

Salem Witch Trials (10/25/10)

I didn't watch this as a focused thing, it was more one of those times that Richard is watching something and I'm in the room but not really paying attention.  At least not at first.  Eventually something happens and I get interested as was the case with this movie.  It was very good, certainly worth watching and very informative.  I love hearing about things from a different light.  The little you are taught in school growing up really doesn't add up to anything in the long run.  I'm glad I have Richard to help me continue learning about things I would otherwise probably ignore.

Alice in Wonderland (10/19/10)

There are some movies that I feel like I just must see, and this was one of those for me.  I'm not a huge Johnny Depp fan, but he was so in costume here that I didn't have much time to be annoyed with him.  I loved the story, I loved Wonderland and it was certainly worth the time I took to watch it.  Would I have wanted to watch it in 3D at the theater? No.  But I'm not a huge 3D fan anyways.  I'm glad I've seen it, I might watch it again someday if the situation presents itself, do I need to?  Probably not, but I wouldn't be against it either.

I did quite enjoy the actress that played Alice, I look forward to seeing more of what she can do.  She did a great job with this role and I imagine she could continue on to do good things.

Unspoken: Bathsheba (The Lineage of Grace Series #4) by Francine Rivers

I joined a book club through my church and this was the first book we read.  Well, we read the 4th book the lineage of grace series, Unspoken.  The story was on Bathsheba, how she met David and the story that come from all of that.  It was great to have a bible story elaborated on to make me think of the people in the bible as a little more real.  I know that they were real, but until you put them in every day situations it's sometimes hard to remember that the people were as real as you and me.  I loved this book and am glad I bought the book that has the rest of the series in it.  I will be reading them as well, but first I have a few other books to finish up!  It seems there is always more to read, and I love that!

It was great talking about the book in book club, relating things to life and seeing peoples opinions on what they read about.  I think I'm probably the least familiar with the bible in our group, so I didn't know the story as well to start with, which meant I didn't go into what we were reading with a preconceived notion of how things went.  I hear the book really opened peoples eyes and made them feel a little less like Bathsheba seduced the king and a little more like she was doing what she had to do.  I'm very glad I joined this book club, it's great to get together with a bunch of Christian women, go over books and just bond, I love it!  Iam so thankful that God brought me to these women to listen and learn through the book club and beyond.

Tenure (10/18/10)

Another goofy movie selected by Richard for our viewing pleasure.  This movie highlights some crazy sides of college life as well as people finding that not everything needs to go as planned.  The two main characters in the movie are professors trying to get their tenure, one is studying Sasquatch and trying to prove the exist and the other is an english teacher having a hard time getting published, both are on a "fast track" to be tenure, but it's not really a fast track at all.  They are strange friends, and neither seems to be likely to get a tenure anytime to soon.  It was really an amusing movie.  The language might have been a bit more then I needed, but then most movies rated R because of language generally are. 

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

This book brought back the magic of the children coming from other worlds.  Or technically I suppose you could stay it started the magic that is the Chronicles.  In this book you get the creation of Narnia and how evil was started there.  Digory and Polly move between worlds and are witness to the creation of Narnia.  This book brings together ideas from previous stories and helps you to see how it all came about. 

7 Dwarves (10/11/10)

Do you recall how I said in my last post that I sit and watch what Richard puts on, well this is another case of that.  It was not in English but I did really enjoy.  Very quirky and funny in a foreign kind of way.  I liked how they tied in other stories and made it just goofy.  And the "dwarfs" were too funny, they call themselves dwarfs and want nothing to do with women, that is until one (or two) come into their midst.  I loved it, too funny.

Freezer Burn: The Invasion of Laxdale (10/9/10)

Yet again another crazy movie Richard put on and I ended up watching while he fell asleep.  One would think that this is the type of movie I prefer to watch if they went through all my movies on here.  Honestly if it weren't for Richard putting movies on and then sitting down and watching them with him I probably wouldn't watch all that much of anything.  And I do enjoy watching movies so I thank him for that.

As for the movie, it was amusing in a Tom Green kind of way.  He was quirky as always, I enjoyed it for what it was, do I need to watch it again?  No.  But it was good for what it was.

The Love Guru (10/8/10)

Richard has a tendency to put on silly movies in the evening to relax from the day.  While I am doing something else (normally laundry), I have a tendency to walk in right as they are starting.  Who needs to do laundry anyways? 

So I stood behind the sofa and watched this movie as Richard fell asleep.  I ended up watching the whole thing and then rewatching the last half the next day so Richard could see how it ended. 

While I wasn't nearly as excited to see this as Richard had been (he's been wanting to watch it since it was in the theatres), I did find it to be enjoyable.  I wouldn't say I loved it or it was the best movie ever, but it was good for silly amusement.  Very much not a movie for kids however, the innuendos are very prominent.  I found it did have a good underlying point about needing to love yourself for who you are and not try to be someone else.  If you can get past all the silly innuendos and over the top comedy that you expect to see from Mike Myers it isn't that bad of a movie. 

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

This story brings us back to the time when the origional kids were the king and queens of Narnia.  The adventures return, the story gets back to being more Narnia based and the magical feeling that was lacking in the fourth book returns.  In this story you are going through the lives of two kids that were always in this world but never in Narnia and two talking horses who had been taken from Narnia at a young age.  I don't know what it was about this book that was missing in the last one, but I'm glad it found its way back into this one, I really enjoyed it.

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

You might have noticed how long it took me to read this book, it's because I just could NOT get interested in the story so I would do pretty much anything other then read on my lunches.  The first three books in the Chronicles were so interesting and the adventures were exciting so you wanted to keep reading.  This book was just blah for me.  I'm not sure if it's because Eustace and Pole were not very exciting characters for me, or if it was the Marshwiggles constant negativity (I know they are supposed to be that way), or what the deal was.  But I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as the others.  I think it's one of those books you read once and then skip over when you reread a the series. 

The Runaways (9/23/10)

Sad. That's what this movie made me.  I'm not sure if that is what they were going for, but it really just made me sad.  Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning both did an excellent job in this movie.  And it was really well done, but it did indeed make me quite sad.

The life of Cherie Currie is what sticks out the most to me in this movie, and it just made me sad.  The sex, drugs and rock and roll thing always seems to go together so you kind of expect it.  But to actually watch a young girl go through this and get pushed into all of that is just heart breaking.  It makes it worse when you know it's a mostly true story. These things really did happen.

I've read a few reviews on the movie and it sounds like quite a bit of the dirty was watered down, which just makes me even more sad.  I also read that Kristen and Dakota actually did the singing in the movie, who would have thought that they could sing?  I'm not incredibly surprised by Dakota doing an amazing job, but Kristen I'm just starting to warm up too.  She just might turn out to be a really good actress despite the fact that she made it big thanks to the Twilight films.

Tuck Everlasting (9/21/10)

I really enjoyed this movie, it made me think about life and living it to the fullest. The acting might have been a bit cheesy at times, but it's a Disney movie, what do you expect?

So keep in mind that I was still in that deep thinking mode while watching this movie. There were two quotes that really stuck out to me, both were said by Angus Tuck to Winnie.

"What we Tucks have, you can't call it living. We just... are. We're like rocks, stuck at the side of a stream. "

In this quote Angus was talking about their imortality and how if you are stuck and not changing in life then it's not really worth living. I need to try to remember that in life, not to get stuck in a thought or an action. It's important to remember to keep living and growing and getting older. That is what life is all about after all.

"Don't be afraid of death, Winnie. Be afraid of the unlived life."

This really stood out to me as something important to remember. Unlike most people, I've never been all that afraid of death, I realize it happens and I'm okay with that. I know where I am going when I die and I look forward to getting there someday. The only thing that really scares me about dieing is how it will affect the people I love. But this statement really rings true, while I'm not all that afraid of death, I suppose I should be afraid of not living my life to the fullest. I certainly have my moments where I just coast through life. I need to stop doing that and start living to my fullest.

Okay, that's all of my deep movie watching thoughts for the night.

New in Town (9/21/10)

This was a cute movie, city girl goes to the country and finds herself.  In the process she also finds a hot guy but they don't get along to start with.  It's your typical romantic comedy with a few twists and turns.  I liked it but then I'm normally one to like cheesy rom-coms.

Sometimes movies like this make me think of how I act and the things I do and they make me question if I really am as nice as I think I am.  Over the last few years I've really been looking back and thinking and well, most of the time it comes back to my thinking I'm not really a nice person.  For the most part I like to think of myself as a nice person.  But then I think about the times that I just don't want to talk to every neighbor I have or know every little thing that is going on in various peoples lives.  I want the details on my friends and family and I love knowing what is going on with them, I suppose I withdraw into my own little world a little more then I should.  I'm not sure this movie is suppose to make me think deeply about myself, it really is a light airy kind of movie.  But my brain was in a think deep kind of mode so here ya go.

The Thorn Birds (9/20/10)

So this mini series took me quite awhile to watch, hence the span in between posts.  Part of the problem is Richard really would not enjoy watching this, and the other was I was having a hard time with the characters being not quite what I had envisioned in the book.  The disks were both two sided and about two hours a side, so it took a good four days of figuring out when I could watch this without subjecting Richard to the forbidden romance movie that it was. 

The series really was well done, by the time I got to the third disk I was over the fact that it wasn't what I was expecting.  The person that played Meggie made her a much eviler or vindictive character then I had imagined in my head.  I didn't think Ralph was nearly as good to look at as I imagined he should be, but then times change and when this came out he probably was someone that would make people go wow.  It was a good mini series, I can see why it is so well known, I'm not really sure why I had never heard of it before. 

I loved the book, and only liked the movie.  But that's nothing new with me.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis

Once again C.S. Lewis has produced a story where you follow the lives of some ordinary children through an extraordinary tale.  In this you follow the two younger kids along with Eustace through a Voyage to the end of the Narnian earth.  Many things happen but I don't want to spoil all that for you, you'll just have to read it.  I really enjoyed this book, it was certainly worth reading.

The Pillars of the Earth (8/31/10)

This was an amazingly well done mini series.  Richard read this book a long time back and absolutely loved it.  A couple years ago I decided to read it as well, as I always need to be reading something, and I loved it as well.  The book was beautifully written and the movie did a great job capturing the story.

This is an 8 part mini series that was shown on Starz, it was very well done.  Richard had always pondered if this book would be made into a movie, and then we always said it was just too long for a movie and too much would be cut out.  So I'm incredibly happy that they did a mini series and didn't cut out the story. 

Yep, I highly recommend watching it, Netflix has it streaming live right now.  It is for a mature audience as there is quite a bit of violence and adult content, so I wouldn't recommend it for kids. 

Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

Book two in the Chronicles of Narnia is just as good as the first.  Once again I was drawn in.  It's amazing how easy these stories are to read, how short they are, and yet how much information you get.  I've read far longer books and finished it feeling like I didn't read a thing.  I think I just might own this movie too, so now I need to watch both, maybe next weekend if I am able to find the time.

I've started the third book and found my bookmark from when I was a kid, apparently I only got part way into the third book and quit reading them.  I wonder what happened to make me quit reading them then?  Strange.  I'll finish the chronicles this time!

Hockey Mom (8/16/10)

This is from 2005 and I had never heard of it before, apparently it has a few different names.  When it starts the name that shows up is Chicks with Sticks, but when searching for the DVD cover I also found it was called Anybody's Game as well.  Strange the way that works.  This is obviously a movie from Canada where hockey is loved by all.  I so wish we would embrace hockey that way in the USA.  The movie was good, I wish it hadn't been called Hockey Mom, for one that makes it sound like something entirely different from what it is.  The blurb on it also made it sound different as well.  The lead character in this movie is a hockey player (in the movie), and a very good one at that.  She isn't just some mom who has a kid that plays hockey, she didn't just one day decide she wanted to play, she is a hockey player and has always been a hockey player.  The movie was cute and annoying at times, but all in all I liked it. 

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

This is one of those books I have read when I was little.  I loved it, it is such a classic book.  It is a wonderful book for kids, I have the whole set of them and I can't wait to be able to read them to my kids I don't have yet.  Now that I'm done with this one I will move on to the rest, I'm excited to get the whole story.  I'm not sure if I read all of the Chronicles of Narnia when I was a kid or not, but I didn't have anyone reading them to me either.  Great book and super easy to read!  I think I need to rewatch the movie sometime soon, I'm pretty sure it's one I actually own.

So You Think You Can Dance: Season 7

I have this weakness for SYTYCD, I can't help but watch it every time it comes out.  Here is my season recap. As always the dancing was amazing this year.   My favorite by far was Alex so it was super sad when he got injured, I hope he decides to do another season when he is all healed up.  Though it's sad for him that he was bonding with all the people from this season and will have to go through it all again.

The contestants this year were much more kooky then previous years, I loved it!  My favorite (after Alex) was Lauren so I'm super excited she won, there wasn't anything they threw at her that she didn't look like a natural doing.  I think when they said "she feels music like no one else" that about sums up her amazingness.  Kent was technically amazing but I did have issues with his cheesy Kentness, I imagine when he matures a bit he'll be absolutely amazing.  I liked Robert more as the season progressed, he started out so excited that he was a bit obnoxious but he really settled down and started dancing amazing towards the end.  As for the people lower then that in placing I'm not going to go into talking about them much (though I did enjoy Billy, I think he would have done a better job if he had been able to continue that first season he started on).

I was VERY happy they replaced Mary with Mia this year, sure Mia can say some crazy things but at least she doesn't scream like a maniac.  I used to fast forward through every thing she said because she annoyed me so much!

Below are a few of my favorite routines from the season.  I'm sure there are more that I am forgetting but here is one dance from each of my favorites.

Merlin (8/10/10)

We've been watching this over the last few weeks and just finished the first season.  I enjoyed it and it annoyed Richard a bit.  I suppose I can see his point, it seems everything is one big adventure or another, magic is being used constantly and no one notices, and we aren't really seeing the relationships grow but they are growing.  I guess for the type of show I look at it more simply then he does, or maybe I just don't expect much out of things.  I did have to question how tossing something in the lake was hiding it from ever being found, I mean it's not really all that hidden, but otherwise I don't normally question all that much.  Merlin is constantly struggling with not using his powers and Arthur is constantly proving he isn't the brightest guy in the kingdom but he does have a good heart.  Yeah, I found it amusing.  I'm sure to watch the next season when it's out on DVD.

Remember Me (8/8/10)

I guess somewhere along the line I figured this would be sad, but I really didn't know how sad.  I don't know if I just figured what had happened to them in the past would be the sadness or what, but I seriously wasn't ready for the way this ended.  I normally try not to write about what movies are about but this time I'm going to break that trend, so if you don't want to hear more about the movie, don't read the rest of this.

I loved the boy meets girl aspect of the story.  I loved seeing them go through their tough times. And I loved watching the dad slowly realize that maybe it's about time he gave attention to the children that remain.  I think what made this so sad wasn't the fact that one of the main characters died, though that was really sad.  What made it so gut wrenching is that he died in an event that we are all familiar with, we all lived through, and I would hope we all remember exactly what we were doing at that time.  9/11 is something that I feel like people tend to forget about now that time has gone by; unless you were somehow directly connected to someone who lost their life in that tragic event we don't often hear about it all that much and we don't see information related to it anymore.  I recall them taking all the pictures down and taking it off the tv after it happened, I realize they didn't want to make people angry, but they shouldn't hide it all such that people forget either.  I saved some pictures from 9/11 to go through from time to time as a reminded.  I'll post a few below.  I loved this movie, it was insanely sad, but the story felt all too real.

Never forget.

Enchantment by Orson Scott Card

I stayed up all night finishing this book, it really is an amazing piece or art.  I loved how it is an old story made new, it's the story minus everything you normally get plus the "happy ever after" or not so happy depending on how and when you look at it.  Great book, well worth reading.  I really do enjoy Orson Scott Card, so far everything I've read of his has been quite amazing.  I need to go to half price books and see what else of his they have sitting around.

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough

I loved this book, it was so human and expressed feeling to situations that everyone has but hides within themselves. I think it just helps you realize that how you feel is okay, you just have to encompass it and continue one with life and not let things drag you down completely.  This book follows you through the lives of various people in the Cleary family, though mostly it focuses on Meggie and her relationships with them all.  It made me want to cry, but not because of how sad any one thing was that happened, but because I could watch the years unfold and feel the losses of the characters.  It was a great book, certainly worth my reading it.  I've moved the mini series to the top of my netflix queue, I hope it does the book justice, the reviews look good so I'm hoping it does!

Loser (7/18/10)

Richard started watching this so I ended up watching it as well.  It was called a quirky comedy, so Richard decided to watch it.  I was doing laundry and happened to walk in as the show started, a hour and a half later I ended up taking my laundry out of the drier and heading to bed.  This really was a quirky comedy, much happier then the other movie I watched today.  I wouldn't say this was a good movie, but it was entertaining in a really stupid movie kind of way.  The only thing I really did like was watching Paul and Dora grow and figure out who they are, but then I always enjoy watching people realize themselves.

Katyn (7/18/10)

Such a devastating movie, made even worse by the fact that it really did happen.  Some of the things that people have done really amaze me.  How could you ever even start to justify doing some of the things that have happened in history.  The movie was great, very well done, but boy did it ever leave me feeling a bit depressed.  Not only because this happened, but because there are so many things just as evil as this going on around the world today.  It really was a well done movie, it's in another language but I think that just added to the story to hear it in the language that it happened in.  Now I just need to watch something a bit happier.

Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment (7/12/10) 8 episodes

There are some things that Richard starts watching and I sit down and watch with him but really don't enjoy it.  This wasn't one of those things.  I think it's probably a good thing I didn't get into watching to many reality tv shows or I probably would spend far to many hours in front of a tv.  This wasn't quite like reality tv, no one was trying to manipulate others (which is why I don't watch reality tv), but it was watching everyday people go through something that was difficult and certainly nothing they had every done before.  Watching them starve, become great friends and do things that they never would have dreamed of before this show.  I have a hard time imagining what I would do if I was in their shoes.  I hate to say it but chances are pretty good that I would have pushed the button and gone home pretty early in the show.  I just don't think my body is strong enough to go thru all of that.  I guess it's best I don't go getting myself lost in the wilderness with no food.  I enjoyed the show and was crying with them as they saw civilization for the first time in a month when they finally made it out of the wild. Great series, it looks like they have had additional seasons, we might just have to watch them as well.

dark flame by alyson noel

After reading shadowland I said I was done with this series if this book didn't get any better.  I was so tired of Ever making stupid decisions all of the time.  In this book Ever was so much smarter and made much better decisions.  She is still finding herself and understanding her place in the world, but in this book it was left to other people to make stupid decisions and do dumb things.  I must say I'll be getting the next book (night star) when it comes out, what can I say I'm horrible about wanting to know how a story ends.  The characters do some stupid things from time to time, but that really does make them seem a bit more real.  I just have to take a minute to recall how little I knew as a teenager and how the world really did seem to revolve around the things I was doing at the time.  Yep, this book was certainly better and I look forward to the next one coming out this winter.

Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer

It took me awhile to get thru the book this time. I love the series and I'm quite happy with the way it ended, but for some reason I just didn't feel motivated to finish this one as fast as the rest of the series.  I don't know if it's because of other stuff I have going on in life or what the deal was.  But I love the series, I've read it three times now after all so I must enjoy it a little.  I have nothing new to say really, just an update since I've read it again.

Penelope (7/6/10)

What a cute movie.  It is said that there is a curse on Penelope, where the first born daughter would be born looking like a pig.  Penelope has a very pig like nose, certainly not something I would think would get the response that it does by people in the movie, but she certainly has a snout.  The movie is cute, she's looking for someone born to the upper class that can cure the curse and restore her to what she should have been.  Her mother is a crazy lady who thinks of nothing more then looks and has a horrible time coping with Penelope and the curse.  The movie is amusing, light watching.  Sometimes it's nice to watch a movie that is just easy going amusement, that is what this movie is.  Sure there are morals to the story and all that, but it's just pure fun and it's not dirty or rude like so many movies are nowadays. 

Brideshead Revisited (7/5/10)

Sometimes I wonder what I was thinking when I put things in my instant queue.  This was a great movie, but I really had no clue what I was getting myself into when I started it.  The story centers around a young gentleman (Charles) that grew up not having much and his intrigue with Brideshead and the family that lives there.  His friendship (and sometimes more) with the young man that lives there (Sebastian), his sister (Julia) and the never ending power their mother had on all their lives.  Great movie, certainly not what I was expecting but entertaining none the less.

Cadillac Records (7/5/10)

So I've gotten tired of movies I wanted to see leaving the instant queue so I decided to start picking movies that said they were on thier way out.  Cadillac Records was a great movie, it brought you through racism and the record industry.  Love, music, friendships and death, this movie has it all.  It was a great movie, showing the start of rock and roll and the lives and relationships of people that started it.  I loved it.

Little Ashes (6/30/10)

I'll admit it, my Twilight obsession once again has me watching movies I normally wouldn't have watched.  This movie certainly wasn't my cup of tea.  The story was interesting but not really all that entertaining to me.  Pattinson did a good job, certainly not my favorite thing I've seen him in, it rather reminded me of the Haunted Airman movie he is in.  A bit crazy, I suppose he played the part he was supposed to.  I just didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked.  The fact that I was sick when I watched this probably didn't help, so tired.

Bella (6/30/10)

Some of the things I find on Netflix I certainly never would have gone and seen had I heard it was in the movie theater.  I'm glad I watched this movie, it has a really good story.  The story follows Jose and Nina through a day that changes both of their lives.  It's a great story, not sure what more to say about it.  The title was a bit confusing until the very end, I figured it was the case but didn't know for sure until the end.   It's sad the story that Jose had gone through, from on top of the world to a chef hiding out in his family business.  He seems to be the best at everything he does.  Yep, good movie, worth watching.

Dear John (6/30/10)

I loved the movie as much as the book, though the ending was twisted in such a way that it really did change the end of it all.  They did an alternate ending that was much more in line with the book.  I wish they had used that in the movie, but I suppose this was better for people that want a happy ending for everyone.  This is one of those stories that really made me cry, the book more so then the movie.  I would highly recommend reading this book!  And watching the movie is good too.

According to Greta (6/27/10)

So I normally like Hilary Duff, but this was not one of my favorite things I've seen her in.  I'm not sure why this got such high ratings on netflix, next time someone tells me not to watch something I really should listen.

The story behind it was actually pretty good, but the whiney bratty girl attitude just got a little old.  I'm certain that it was what was asked for, but really?  Did it have to be that whiney.  Ugh.  The movie moved slow at times, and ended well.  Though you really don't know how her relationship with anyone actually ends up, you just have to hope for the best and go from there. 

Bright Star (6/27/10)

I went into this having little knowledge about what this was about and not being at all familiar with the life of Keats.  Even without knowing the story, this was a brilliant film.  It was at time a little slow, but the story was very intreguing and very well portayed.  I certainly would recommend it to anyone that enjoys period movies.  It really was a great movie.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer

Poor Bree!  I always felt bad for her in Eclipse, she didn't know what she was doing.  After getting to know her better and the life of the newborns I really do feel even worse for her.  I can't say I felt bad for all of the newborns, but I certainly felt bad for her.  I'm hoping that Fred makes another apperance sometime in another book by Stephanie Meyer, I really do want to know what happens with him.  That and I want more of this world, it's always sad when I finish the series and have to leave their world again for awhile.  That's probably why I've read it so many times.  It's about time to rewatch the movies before Eclipse comes out.  I can't wait!